


Workout

by NightlyPhantasms



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Humor, me too mitsuru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 14:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16494089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightlyPhantasms/pseuds/NightlyPhantasms
Summary: “I want to learn how to fight.”Instead of asking more questions, like she almost expected, he suddenly stood up, grinning widely. “Now you’re talking my language. You should have said so sooner!”





	Workout

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't finished a proper oneshot in over two years, so of course what I come back with is yukamitsu

The last excursion to Tartarus was...frustrating, to put it lightly. Near-death experiences weren’t exactly the most uncommon thing on the planet, but something about the last one ate at her, bothering her to no end.

They had been separated. Somehow. Everyone was on the same floor but it was dark and Fuuka was having a hard time trying to keep up with monitoring four people, in four different locations, all at once. What may have been a small dose of panic, but manageable, given their trip was focused on breezing through through some lower levels, ended up with Yukari surrounded by four very angry and _very_ resistant to wind Shadows.

Close proximity rendered her arrows useless, and only so much damage could be dealt with her actual bow without smashing it to splintered pieces. Fuuka had shifted her attention to helping Yukari avoid attacks, which was easier said than done, while trying to guide someone over to her location.

It was only as one of the Shadows prepared a potentially fatal strike that her luck had finally turned up. Akihiko ran into the room at an almost terrifying speed, _punching_ the one trying to hit her square in its weird...face...thing. It was knocked over, stunned. By a punch.

Yukari, bewildered but her heart pounding too hard to register what had just happened, took that momentary opening to run to a safer distance. With Fuuka’s help they then made short work of their enemies.

All in all, it was typical. Still, Yukari felt like she should have done better. Or been better. The moments between nearly being killed and Akihiko saving her life were ones she continued to play in her head over and over as the day dragged on.

Through the night and into the next, as well. When Hamuko asked, she did nothing but smile and insist she was alright. When Junpei somehow managed to pick up on her soured mood, she glared daggers and told him to go away.

She wasn’t strong enough, obviously. Yukari could only do so much without her evoker, or without the range required to fire precise shots at her enemies. Take both away and she may as well be a sitting duck. Hangups be damned, that was unacceptable.

It was by the end of school then that Yukari, frustrated and about ready to punch something, came to a final conclusion. She worked through archery, a newfound determination within her, and dashed back to the dorms the second she had the chance.

To her luck, Akihiko was there in the lounge, fiddling with the strings on one of his boxing gloves. Despite being so caught up in it, he greeted her as she hurriedly walked in. “Welcome back,” he said. “In a hurry, Takeba?”

“Right,” she started, awkwardly. An entire session of archery and a couple days of angsting hadn’t exactly prepared her for actually approaching her senpai about the topic, but. No harm in trying. They were the only ones in the lounge, at least, though that was only a small comfort. “About that. I...kinda need your help, Akihiko-senpai.”

At that he raised his eyebrow. “I’m not sure what i could help you with. Mitsuru’s better with studying tips, but I can try.”

“No, no! Not studying.” There weren’t any big tests coming up anytime soon, of course it wasn’t studying. Even _if_ mitsuru wanted them focusing more on school, anyway. There were other things to worry about. Like this. “I’m talking about the other day.” With an uncomfortable pause, where Akihiko just waited for her to say something, she finally took the plunge, “I want to learn how to fight.”

Instead of asking more questions, like she almost expected, he suddenly stood up, grinning widely. “Now you’re talking my language. You should have said so sooner!” Akihiko dropped his glove on the coffee table and punched a fist into his other hand. “We can start training right now. Archery may get you muscles, but they’re useless if you don’t know how to throw a punch.”

The display was nearly intimidating. Terrifying, even. Yet, another feeling stirred inside her, overtaking all others.

_Pure, unfiltered determination._

...Still, archery had left her sore and exhausted. Despite something in her head yelling at her to go through with it now, she shook her head, frowning. “Wait, hold on-- I’m kinda tired today, Akihiko-senpai. Can’t we start tomorrow? I don’t have club then.”

Akihiko noticeably deflated at that, but his grin kept up. “5 A.M. sharp, then! We can start with jogging a few miles, just to ease you into things. Defense techniques can be for later.”

A few miles probably meant circling the entire city. Probably. Based on the horror stories of his workout habits, at least.

The rational part of her brain warned that this could kill her, but the irrational, heavily motivated part won out, as it does. She nodded, reflecting Akihiko’s expression with a smile of her own.

“Great! I’ll see you in the morning then, Senpai. Thanks.”

Before Yukari could get started up the stairs, Akihiko called out to her. “Hold on, Takeba! There’s one thing you need to know about a successful workout. My _secret strategy._ ”

Something deep inside, probably the remaining voice the rational side of her head held, recognized the million red flags that were merely the words _secret strategy_ and knocked some damned sense into her _._

Internal fears of chugging raw eggs and protein powder flooded her mind in an instant...but she had no choice but to hesitantly press him to continue. “I’m...uh, all ears, Senpai.”

“ _Tarunda._ ”

“What.”

“ _TARUNDA!_ ” he yelled. “If you ever need a pick-me-up, all you have to do is shout _Tarunda_ . It works for me even outside of my Persona, and if you believe hard enough, it’ll work for you too. _Tarunda._ Remember that.”

Oh, God.

\---

On most mornings, it was the norm for Mitsuru to find Akihiko getting back from one of his...training sessions, just as she entered the lounge, ready to leave for school. They would greet each other briefly, and then be on their way. In the past few weeks, however, this hadn’t been the case. Somehow, she managed to miss him every morning.

It wasn’t a big deal, really, when she assumed he had just taken up another mile or five to his run. He was the type of person to push himself to the utmost of his limits, and ever since he recovered from his injury, though that was months ago by this point, he had obsessed over improving his own skills more than he normally did.

What did come as a shock, however, was when she was proven wrong.

One early day, she walked down the stairs to see Akihiko getting back from another run. He had in tow with him an exhausted, but seemingly buzzing with some kind of energy, Takeba. It shocked her for a brief moment to see her, having gone out running with an exercise junkie such as Akihiko, and⎯

Well. She averted her eyes, feeling her face flush. Takeba had taken off her hoodie and tied it around her waist as she entered, revealing toned arms and a tank top.

She couldn’t help sneaking small, hidden glances back at the arms again, when Akihiko acknowledged her presence, knocking her out of the bafflement that left her frozen on the last step of the staircase.

“Morning, Mitsuru,” Akihiko said, waving.

Takeba, stretching the aches out of her legs beside him-- Don’t look there, either, Mitsuru-- suddenly stood straight upon noticing Mitsuru was, well, there. “Good morning, Senpai! I, uh, didn’t think we’d catch you before you left.” She cleared her throat, pointedly avoiding eye contact with her other senpai.

“Ah⎯ yes. I was just on my way out, actually.” Of their own volition, acting traitor to her own will, Mitsuru’s eyes fluttered again to Takeba. Her outfit left...little to the imagination, to put it frankly. Mitsuru didn’t think she had ever noticed how muscular Takeba really _was ._

There was a sort of tension in the room Akihiko didn’t, or really couldn’t, notice. He merely looked between the two and let out a light chuckle. “Well, I’m off. See you later Mitsuru, Takeba.” With a nod, he walked off to the bathrooms.

That just left Mitsuru alone. With Takeba.

“You gotta get going too, huh? I won’t keep you waiting. I need to go...get ready, anyway.” Takeba stepped to the side.

“ _Yes._ School,” Mitsuru said. “I will be seeing you, then.” She didn’t allow herself, this time, to spare a final glance at Takeba, walking determinedly towards the front door. Questions could asked at a later point⎯ and there were enough of them to warrant consideration⎯ but her mind was too preoccupied with replaying her exchange to even begin to ponder.

However.

Did...Takeba have abs?


End file.
